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The government through its counsel moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday to challenge the acquittal of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan by Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in a 2014 case pertaining to the alleged torture of a senior police official.

A petition filed in the court on behalf of the government states that the acquittal decision pertaining to the alleged torture of the then Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Islamabad, Asmatullah Junejo, must be declared void and directives should be issued to conduct a trial.

In 2014, Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek Chairman Tahirul Qadri staged a major rally in Islamabad against alleged rigging in the 2013 election and the Model Town tragedy, which had seen as many as 14 people killed and 100 others injured when police attacked Qadri's residence during an 'anti-encroachment' operation.

During the Islamabad sit-in, the SSP was severely beaten up by a group of violent protesters on Constitution Avenue as they stormed the Pakistan Television (PTV) headquarters and the precincts of the Parliament on September 1, 2014.

Subsequently, a case was registered against Khan, Qadri, and others for the torture of Junejo and five other police officers. Arrest warrants had also been issued against the two leaders.

However, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad on May 4 acquitted the PTI chief without holding a trial.

The petition filed in the IHC by Advocate General Islamabad states that in the case's First Information Report (FIR), Imran Khan's name was underlined as having a "special role" in the whole debacle whereby he stood on top of his container and incited supporters to beat the SSP.

Furthermore, the petition asserts that the case against Khan has evidence in the form of eyewitness accounts and testimonies that were all recorded at the time, but the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad on May 4 had announced their approval for his acquittal in a rushed hearing of the case without conducting a proper trial.

Therefore, the IHC was requested to conduct a trial in the case and declare the ATC's decision to acquit the PTI chief, null and void.

Comments (34) Closed

PMLN are just shredding crocodile's tears and acting as a defeated party because of their leader's corrupt practices and duty tricks - nothing else!

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Yaqoob

May 16, 2018 08:38pm

You can’t stop the inevitable by these tactics.

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miraaj

May 16, 2018 08:39pm

This is the step in teh right direction. The one who was involved in thrashing the ssp, will be let go ? where is the rule of law? Had it been anyone other he would have served quite a few years in jail specially the one who almost killed the other. IK himself say not two laws but only one and now IK is very happy in breaking the law and runs away as well with help from powerful. Instead NS is right that about supremacy of civilians.

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Akbar Zaidi

May 16, 2018 08:41pm

Political victimnization at it's worst.

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imran

May 16, 2018 08:46pm

This Government is getting very desperate - address the model town killings and the poor child killed by NS motorcade, stop diverting attention.

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Tahir

May 16, 2018 08:53pm

Normal routine to challenge lower court decision

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Skeptic

May 16, 2018 09:29pm

Call it PML-N way of extracting revenge from IK and making him miserable for exposing the corrupt House of Sharifs.

These people have no shame or conscience!

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Haal

May 16, 2018 09:29pm

Nawaz was condemned before holding the trial and Imran was acquitted without holding a trial. That sums up the master plan.

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Q NIKALA

May 16, 2018 09:31pm

Nawaz Sharif and PMLN is now playing dirty game. Forget about Imran, where is the money trail ?

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Aman

May 16, 2018 09:44pm

Government will fail in this case as it has already failed in all other cases. I do not know why they want to waste time in things like that instead of delivering to public as promised during last elections. Where is electricity? why children are still being rapped and burned or buried alive in Pakistan ? Why Education and hospitals are worst than of their own past performance? Why millions of children out of school and malnutrition and dying because of hunger and government has done what to prevent it ?

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Hopeful

May 16, 2018 10:00pm

Time for payback.

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A. Ali

May 16, 2018 10:19pm

would suggest NS be indicted in torturing 21 crore people for statement on Mumbai attacks....

Political case of revenage. He didnot go and beat ssp. It was worker. Whern u do bomb of shelling on people, you habe to face reaction

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jaredlee67

May 16, 2018 10:34pm

The entire govt. machinery against one man. See the govt.'s priority!

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pathanoo

May 16, 2018 10:42pm

If the Justice is applied equally in Pakistan then Imran Khan should also be disqualified to hold office. But, it's not going to happen.

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Tariq Sheikh

May 16, 2018 10:48pm

@pathanoo i do agree.

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Sukhera

May 16, 2018 10:55pm

@pathanoo . I agree with you that his acquittal was unjustified and the govt made the right decision to appeal his case.

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Sid

May 16, 2018 11:04pm

@pathanoo You are making no sense whatsoever. This case against IK is a waste of tax payers money... there was no evidence against khan yet the government is willing to waste money just to keep the case going... I will be glad to see that back of this government sooner rather than later

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Dr Mughal - UK

May 16, 2018 11:30pm

The government has not arrested those who were responsible for Model town massacre after nearly 4 years, which actually led to Qadri’s protest and they are questioning the ATC Acquittal decision of Imran Khan for torturing SSP - Pathetic

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NACParis

May 16, 2018 11:35pm

Nawaz and group finding themselves in quick sand have adopted vicious move and trying to drag whole country with them

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Aamir

May 16, 2018 11:37pm

IK should go behind bars

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Haal

May 16, 2018 11:59pm

Nawaz was condemned before holding the trial and Imran was acquitted without holding a trial. That sums up the master plan.

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M. Saeed

May 17, 2018 12:19am

Laadla in trouble.

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salman

May 17, 2018 12:45am

@pathanoo
Why would he be disqualified please explain, his name is not associated with Billion in corrupt money

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Majid

May 17, 2018 12:52am

Something is being done at least by the Govt. Inciting people to violence and beating the public servants in front of the nations and got free like that! Unacceptable!

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Tashfeen Qayyum

May 17, 2018 12:53am

14 days to go for this government. Just a nuisance this will be thrown out again.

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Abdul Jabbar

May 17, 2018 01:03am

PML-N cannot find anything against this great leader so they are trying their best to frame false charges against him.

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imran

May 17, 2018 01:29am

The world has gone made and Pakistan is suffering from the NS virus.

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AW

May 17, 2018 03:16am

Another example of government wasting public resources and money on frivolous court cases for victimization of political opponents

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Melbournian

May 17, 2018 04:23am

whats wrong with these people.

just another way to stop a change.

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BhaRAT

May 17, 2018 05:06am

What is Imran khan fault in this? He himself didn’t beat that police officer his supporters did

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Akil Akhtar

May 17, 2018 07:44am

Is this govt here to serve the country and people or just work for PMLN

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Dr. Doctor

May 17, 2018 08:43am

I hope and pray that keeping the holy spirit of this month in perspective, a true verdict is given which puts the real inciter and culprit promoting violence behind bars.